Important Collectors' Watches, Pocket...

Geneva, Mar 16, 2008

LOT 730

L. Leroy & Cie, Horlogers de la Marine, 7 Bd de la Madeleine, Paris, No. 47676/18914/ 9195, circa 1920. Exceptionally fine 18K gold, keyless split- seconds chronograph watch with instantaneous 60-minute register and stop feature, winner of the ?Première Classe Bulletin de Marche? from the 1921 Besançon Observatoire Timing Contest, accompanied by the original Bulletin de Marche, confirmation from 1924 and five original letters relating to the watch from Leroy to the owner.

CHF 11,000 - 13,000

USD 10,000 - 12,000 / EUR 6,800 - 8,000

Sold: CHF 26,400

C. Four-body, ?bassine?, polished, gold hinged cuvette, split-seconds pushbutton at 1 o?clock, stop pushbutton at 8 o?clock. D. Gilt silver, champlevé Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions, outermost chronograph divisions, subsidiary sunk recorder at 12 o?clock, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 42.2 mm, frosted gilt bar caliber, 22 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, gold pallet fork, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold and platinum screws, Palladium Breguet balance spring, pillar plate punched with Viper?s head. Signed on dial and case, same number on the case and movement. Diam. 50 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-10

Good

Patinated
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-6-01

Good

Slightly oxidized

HANDS Original

Notes

The watch is of the highest quality made in France during the period. The finishing is superior, with gold fork and palladium spring, very rarely used. All this is, of course, confirmed by the fact that the watch won the Première Classe Bulletin from the Besançon Observatory. Additionally, it comes with more documents and correspondence that we have ever seen with any single watch of the period.